My Home, My Choice

Learn about the My Home, My Choice programme. This programme is focused on the work needed to transform the way people in residential services are assisted so they have more choice and control in their lives.

Creating alternatives to residential care

We want to ensure that people supported in residential services receive high quality supports, their human rights are upheld and they have choice and control.

Whaikaha is considering how we can help create alternatives to residential care. This includes by:

working with other agencies to help them address housing supply, accessibility, universal design and income related policies.
applying a systems improvement method – where we take a planned and structured approach - to understanding the different pathways, and circumstances of those entering care or remaining in the community.

In March 2024 the Transformation Management Board approved funding of $6.55 million for projects to improve the current residential care system and develop alternative options for disabled people.

The projects were informed with input from the My Home My Choice patrons and steering group. They are all in the early stages:

establishing an Intensive Response Team to work with those whose housing situations are most compromised.
investing in a project that seeks to unbundle the provision of support from accommodation, to help improve choice and control for disabled people in their homes.
building Te Ao Māori options to support iwi/ Māori alternatives to residential care, and understand how existing supports can better support tāngata whaikaha Māori and their whānau.
developing a practice network to improve outcomes and support continuous improvement of residential care and alternative options.

What is the My Home, My Choice programme?

Whaikaha is committed to working in partnership with disabled people, Māori and Government to transform the disability support system in line with the Enabling Good Lives (EGL) approach.

The My Home My Choice programme focuses on the work needed to transform the way people in residential services are assisted so they have more choice and control in their lives. This includes developing options and alternatives for people who are considering entry into or exit out of residential care.

This programme means supporting disabled people and tāngata whaikaha Māori to live everyday lives in everyday places, ensuring they are citizens with opportunities for learning, working, having somewhere to call home and fully participate in their community.

We are working alongside disabled people, tāngata whaikaha Māori, family and whānau to ensure these changes are guided by their voices and experiences. We will work with service providers to ensure their knowledge, experience and examples of best practice are incorporated and built on.

My Home, My Choice is informed by

Te Tiriti o Waitangi
The Enabling Good Lives principles external URL and approach
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities external URL (UNCRPD).

And guided by:

Learnings from the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry external URL .
The Waitangi Tribunal report Wai 2575 - the Health Services and Outcomes Inquiry external URL
Te Aorerekura National strategy to eliminate family violence and sexual violence - Te Puna Aonu external URL i Whaikaha has responsibility for Action 28). Action 28 is to “Implement safeguarding responses for disabled and vulnerable adults”.

Who is leading My Home, My Choice

In 2023 Sir Robert Martin KNZM and Gary Williams MNZM were appointed as patrons to provide leadership of this work programme.

On the 30 April 2024, Sir Robert Martin sadly passed away.

Sir Robert made it his life’s work to advance disability rights. As a patron of My Home, My Choice, Sir Robert championed this important work. The the team will continue to honour his commitment as they progress this work.

Acknowledging the passing of Sir Robert Martin KNZM external URL

Gary Williams MNZM will remain as patron of this work programme.

Sir Robert Martin KNZM

I spent most of my childhood in various New Zealand institutions, where people were labelled as different and separated from the rest of the community.

I was first admitted to an institution when I was 18 months old. When I left at the age of 15, I didn’t know I was a citizen with rights, I had no knowledge of critical moments of history, I didn’t even know about the All Blacks (even though I loved rugby).

This experience gave me a great interest in ensuring that all disabled people get the opportunity to live in the community from birth.  

I have spent my life advocating on behalf of people with disabilities and in particular people with learning disabilities.

Over the years, I have travelled the world speaking to organisations, families, and people with learning disabilities about many topics, including the right to live in the community, deinstitutionalisation, the right to work, and to live their chosen life.

New Zealand nominated me for the Committee for the United Nations Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and I was successfully elected to this role in June 2016. I am still on the Committee. I am the first person with a learning disability to be elected and succeed. I was given my knighthood in January 2020 for my service to my community. It is believed that I am the first person with a learning disability to have received such an award. 

I live in Whanganui, with my wife Lady Lynda, in a house on a street with a letter box - just like everyone else. I still require assistance to maintain an independent life. At times I do require assistance through supported decision making, particularly with complex situations. I am very lucky to have family, friends and assistants that meet my needs. So, I can live my life the way I want.

I believe every individual person is a member of our society. They should be respected and given opportunities and choices just like everyone else. Disability is often a barrier but should not be a blockade. People should be able to choose where they live, with whom and how they live.

I dream of the day in New Zealand where difference is ok and accepted. And every person has the opportunity to live life to the fullest.

Gary Williams MNZM Ngāti Porou

I grew up and attended school in Tokomaru Bay on the East Coast. Then, from the age of 13 until my early 40s I lived in residential care.

My experience was that people living in residential care were denied free will, preference, and prior and informed consent. For disabled people, the notion of choice and control was moot because they were at the end of the decision-making process.

Everyone involved in these institutions - including residents, staff, management, and funders become institutionalised.

I am now a keen advocate for disabled people and tāngata whaikaha Maori. I have particular interests in leadership development and training, the rights of disabled people and effective organisational governance and management. I have been the CEO of DPA, worked as consultant to the disability and NGO sectors and held governance roles for a number of organisations.

I was also part of the leadership team of the New Zealand delegation that negotiated the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In 2012, I was recognised as a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to disability support.

I am pleased to be able to guide the My Home My Choice programme and believe the successful implementation of the Enabling Good Lives approach will benefit the whole of New Zealand.

It is time to take action and to make changes to policy settings so we can give disabled people better life outcomes.

Whaikaha was established to transform the disability support system. As Sir Robert and Gary highlight, it is time to create the changes disabled people and their families have been calling for.

Steering group

We have appointed a steering group to support the governance of the Nōku te kāinga noho, Nōku te whakatau | My Home My Choice programme, alongside the Patrons and Sponsor. The group is responsible for guiding and providing advice to this work programme.

The members include:

Peter Knighton – Disability Representative
Lee Rutene – Tāngata whaikaha Māori Representative)
Joshua Caldwell – Tāngata whaikaha Māori Representative
Lisa Martin – Families/Whānau Representative
Latoa Halatau – Pacific Peoples Representative
Shane Mcinroe – EGL Representative
Andrew Wordsworth – Provider Representative

For information on how the Steering Group members were chosen and what the nominations process involved you can view the Call for nominations webpage.

Conversations with family and Whānau

In October to November 2023 we held online conversations where we engaged directly with family and whānau who have a loved on in residential care or who is considering entering or leaving residential care.

The learnings from these conversations will be used to inform the My Home, My Choice programme. To learn more about what these conversations involved you can visit the conversations with family/whānau webpage.

Summary of this webpage with alternate formats

You can also view a summary of the My Home, My Choice webpage (DOCX 61KB), this is also known as the high level statement.

Alternate formats